Improvement in machines for ironing hosiery



UNITED STATES PATENTN OEEToE.

WALTER AIKEN, OF FRANKLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR IRONING HOSIERY.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,455, dated August 28, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER AIKEN, ot' Franklin, `in the county of Merrimac and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Machine for Ironing Hosiery; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a iront elevation, Fig. 2 an end view, and Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical sections, of it.

In such drawings, A denotes the frame for supporting the operative parts, it consisting of a base board or plate, a, and two standards, b b, projecting upward from suoli base board or plate.

B and C are two metallic drums or hollow cylinders, having their journals c c d d tubular, and supported in boxes c c fj", applied to the two standards.

A driving-shaft, D, provided with abelt-pulley, g, and a toothed pinion, h, is arranged over the upper roller, and supported in boxes It' h', affixed to the two standards.

Gears t' and k are fixed on the two next adjacent journals ofthe cylinders and engage with each other. The upper of such gears also engages with the pinion.

Aconnection-pipe, E, bentin the form shown in the drawings, is inserted in the two adjacent journals of the two cylinders, and held in them by means of stuffing-boxes l l, applied to them. The boxes of the journals of the lo wer roller rest on springs m m, the said boxes being applied tothe standards in a manner to enable the lower roller to move a little away from as well as toward the upper roller.

Steam is to be introduced into the upper roller by a pipe, m', leading into its journal.

From this rollerit will ow through the lexile pipe E into the lower roller and be discharged through a pipe, n, leading from its journal, and connected therewith by a stuffing-box. The journals ofthe rollers are to revolve in these pipes of induction, connection, and discharge. A

Heretoi'ore the work of ironing hosiery to prepare it for sale in the market has been aoconiplished by hand-labor, the sock or stocking being first put or stretched upon a metallic form. A wet or damp cloth having been spread over the sock, one side of it was ironed with a common sad or hand-iron, aft-er which the other side was similarly treated.

With the machine, as hereinbefore described, both sides of the sock are ironed at one operation, and while the form with the sock upon it is in the act of being run between the two rollers while they may be in revolution.

One person with the machine will accomplish four times the work in a given time that she can do by the ordinary process of ironing with a hand-iron, and, besides, the work will be done very much better.

I claim- The hosiery-ironing machine, made as de-- scribed, viz: of the two hollow drums or cylinders, theexile connection-pipe,the drivingshaft and gears, the stationaryv and movable boxes, tubular journals, and stufng-boxes,

' arranged with and applied to a frame, A, sub- 

